Machine for forming articles from sheet material



Feb. 14, 1928.

H. E. RUCKERT MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL INVIiN'l'Ell l cm 137 QQJL AH-ys- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. E.RUCKERT MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL F'led July 18,1924 Feb. 14, 1928.

Feb. 14; 1928. 1,659,162

H. E. RUCKERT MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL 3Sheetsfih et 3 Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,659,162 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. BUCKERT. OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO SANITARYPRODUCTS CORPORATION OF AMERICA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING ARTICLES FROM SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed July 18,

This invention relates to machines for forming small articles such asspoons, forks, and the like. from sheet material and especially,although not exclusively, from sheet metal, such as tin plate. Theinvention has for its object to provide a substantially automaticmachine of simple construction. and large capacity, which is accurate inits operation, and in which the parts which are subject to wear can bereadily replaced, said machine including means for delivering thearticles formed in an orderly nlilanner and preferably in nestedrelations 1p.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, together with meanswhereby said invention may be carried into effect, will best beunderstood from the following description of one form or embodimentthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Itwill be understood, however. that the particular constructiondescribed and shown has been chosen for illustrative purposes merely,and that the invention. as defined by the claims hereunto appended, maybe otherwise embodied without departing from its spirit and scope.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of substantially the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on the line 22,Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail section, taken substantially on the line 3-3, Fig. 1,of the controller for the electromagnetic delivering mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation. partly in section, of the parts in therear of the machine, including the electromagnets for removing thecompleted articles from the dies, the circuit to the latter being showndiagrammatically.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on the line 5-5, Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 66. Fig.5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section taken subtantially onthe line 7-7,

Fig. 5.

1924 Serial No. 726,864.

May 17, 1921. a suitable base 20 (Fig. 1) ;and comprises uprights 21carrying between them a bolster 22 and in the upper part of which isjournalled a main or driving shaft 24 to which power from any suitablesource may be supplied through a belt pulley 25. The shaft 24 is formedwith a crank 26 connected by a preferably adjustable pitman 27 with aram 28 having secured thereto a semi-cylindrical web plate 29 by whichsaid ram is guided for vertical movement in suitable guides on theuprights 21. Secured to the lower end of the ram is a die carrier 30guided by posts 8 rising from the bolster 22. Secured to the die carrier30 is a punch 32 provided with the usual spring-pressed stripper plate 3and yieldingly mounted knock-out pins 4, said punch cooperating with anopen punch die 35 (see particularly Fig. 7) forming part of anopen-ended. boxlike member 36 carried by the bolster 22 above which saidpunch die is supported in elevated position. The punch 32 and punch die35 constitute blanking outdies which out two articles at each stroke ofthe ram, and are slightly staggered with respect to one another, asexplained in Letters Patent No. 1,378,707, above referred to. Said diesare. however, constructed to punch blanks from the stock only and not tomold said blanks as in said prior patent. The stock, which. in thepresent instance, may be in the form of sheet metal plates. is suppliedto a table or bracket 37 secured to the base 20,-said stock beingintermittently fed between the blanking out dies by means of feedrollers 38 operated by a ratchet mechanism 39 connected by a pitman 19with a crank 40 on the shaft 24.

are preferably double. so as to blank Said press is supported on 7 Theblanks B (see particularly Fig. 7)

which are severed from the stock by the punch 32 are forced by saidpunch through the open punch die 35, successive blanks being received inthe cavities of a series of die sections 41. The die sections 41comprise links which are pivotally connected to form a continuousendless chain. two such chains being preferably provided, and the diesections of one chain gered with respect to the sections of the other tocorrespond with the staggered relationship of the openings in the punchdie '35.

being slightly stag- The upper reaches of the chains are guided over thebolster 22 in grooves in a guide plate 42 carried by said bolster andpass through the box-like member 36. Said chains pass about drums 44 and46 journalled in suitable bearings in the side plates 21 at the frontand rear of the bolster respectively, said drums being of polygonal formand having fiat faces which substantially fit the several links or d esections. The chains are fed intermittently to bring the several diesections 41 successively into position beneath the punch die to receivethe blanks l3 therefrom, by means of a pair of pawls 7, adapted toengage the several die sections successively, said sections being formedwith notches 48 at their forward ends to permit engagement of said pawlswith the contiguous sections. The pawls 7 are oscillated by and arepivotally connected with one arm of a bell crank 49 pivoted at 50 to abracket 51 supported on the bolster 22, the other arm of said bell crankbeing connected by a link 52 with the outer end of a lever 53 pivotedintermediate its ends at 54 to a bracket 55 carried by one of theuprights 21. At its inner end the lever 53 carries a cam roller 56 whichcooperates with a cam 57 on shaft 24, said roller being held I inengagement with the edge of said cam by means of a' spring 58 connectingthe forward end of the lever 53 with the bracket 51. The arrangement issuch that at each complete rotation of the shaft 24 the pawls 7 advancethe chains a distance equal to the length of one of the die sections 41and are then retracted and caused to engage the next die sections ofsaid chains.

The mechanism last described operates to move the chains betweensuccessive downward or operative strokes of the ram 28, and during saidoperative strokes, which cause the punch 32 to sever the blanks from thestock and deposit them in the cavities of the die sections 41, saidchains are locked against movement, and the dies accurately positionedbeneath the openings in the punch die 35, by means of wedge slides 9(see particularly Fig. 5 and 6) which engage the notches 48 of theseveral die sections successively. The slides 9 are guided in the plate42 and are formed with stems 6 guided in brackets 60 on the bolster 22,said slides being normally withdrawn from the notches 48 and held ininoperative position by means of springs 61 which surround the stems 6,said springs being interposed between the brackets 60 and collars 63 onthe outer ends of said stems. The slides 9 are moved inwardly to engagethe notches 48, between successive movement of the chains by the pawls7, by means of bell cranks 5 pivoted to brackets 65 on the bolster 22.One arm of each of the bell cranks 5 is pivotally connected to thecorresponding slide 9, the other arm being diseaarea posed in the pathof movement of an adjustable abutment screw 67 carried by a bracket 66projecting laterally from the die carrier 30. The arrangement is suchthat, when the ram 28 descends, and the punching operation takes place,the chains will be locked against movement, and the appropriate diesections 41 accurately positioned beneath the opening in the punch die,by the slides 9.

At the rear of the punch 32. the die carrier 30 is provided with a diesection 68 adapted to cooperate with the several die sections 41 of eachchain successively and of a shape con'iplementary thereto. said diesection 68 being preferably double to correspond to the doublearrangement of the blanking out dies and travelling die sections. Thearrangement is such that. as the chains are moved intermittently. eachdie section 41 is brought beneath the punch die 35 to receive a blank Bat one stroke of the ram, as above explained, and is thereafter movedrearwardly toward the die section 68, so that at a subsequent stroke ofthe ram said blank will be shaped between the die sections 41 and 68into an article A. The die section 68 is provided with one or morespring-pressed ejectors 69, whereby, when the rain rises, the completedarticles A are caused to remain in the cavities of the die sections 41.

From the die section 68 the several sections 41 pass successivelyrearwardly about the drum 46. Between successive movements of the chainseach die section 41 is caused to dwell momentarily upon one of the flatfaces of said drum, as shown at 41 in Fig. 4, this position being thedischarging position of the die section in which the completed article Ais removed therefrom and discharged from the machine by automaticdelivering mechanism which, in the embodiment of the invention hereinshown, is constructed and arranged substantially as follows:

Journalled in brackets 70 secured to the uprights 21 at the rear of themachine is a rock shaft 71 having fast thereon an electromagnet carrier72. Said carrier comprises a lever mounted intermediate its ends 011 theshaft 71 and having at its forward end a head 73 carrying a set ofelectromagnets 74. As shown in Fig. 2, said electromagnets are arrangedin two pairs of two each so arranged that, when the carrier 72 is in theinclined position shown in Fig. 4 and in full lines in Fig. 2. one pairof said electromagnets Will be directly over each of the die sections 41in discharging position on the drums 46. The opposite arm of the lever72 is preferably provided with a counterweight 76 to balance the weightof the electromagnets 74. The shaft 71 has fast thereon an arm 75connected by a link 76 with one arm of a lever 77 pivoted intheelectromagnets H are I by means of a spring 81 connecting said "tricallyconnected with a first named arm of the lever 77 with said upright 21.The mechanism last described 1s so synchronized with the mechanism for vI 1 operating the ram and that for teedmg the chains that duringthedescent of the ram brought into the inclined position shown in Fig. 4and in full lines in Fig. 2, but. when the ram rises, and the chains areadvanced by the pawls 7, the shaft 71 is rocked to swing the carrier 72and electromagnets 7a into the vertical delivering position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2.

Current is supplied to all of the electromagnets 7i simultaneoirlythrough a circuit comprising a generator or other source ot current 82(Fig. l) comlnctors 83, 8t and 85 and a circuit controller as. Theconductor 83 leads directly from one pole of the generator 82 to theeleetromagn-ets T4. The

conductor 84 leads from the electromagnets to a terminal 87 ot' thecircuit controller 86. The other terminal 88 of the circuit controlleris connected by the conductor with the opposite pole of the generator82. The circuit controller 86 comprises a' commutator on the shaft 24,said connnntator being composed of insulating material and having anannular conducting portion 89 eleccoaxial segmental conducting portion90. A brush 9.1 connected with the terminal 87 is in continuousengagement with the conducting portion 89, While a brush 92 connectedwith the terminal 88 is alternately engaged by the conducting portion 90and the non-conducting periphery of the commutator. The terminals 87 and88 are also connected to the opposite poles of a condenser 93.

It will be observed that in the construction shown the crank 40 foroperating the mechanism which feeds the stock into the machine, thecrank 26 tor operating the ram, the cam 57 for moving the travellingseries of die sections ll, the cam for operating the electromagnetcarrier 7:3, and the commutator for controlling the current to theelectromagnets are all carried by the same main shaft, this being thepreferred arrangement in order that the several mechanisms may beaccurately syncln'onized with respect to one another. The angularposition of the commutator 86 with respect to the cam 80 is such thatduring the movement of the clectromagncts from the position shown indotted lines in Fig. 2 into the position shown in full lines therein thebrush 92 engages the non-conducting pe- -iphery of the commutator. andno current passes to said electromagnets. When the i from the diesections ll,

electrom-agnets reach the full line position.

the commutator assumes the position shown in Fig. and .mnnediatelythereafter the circuit is closed by contact-ct the mlur 7i) ing portion90 with the brush 92, as shown in Fig. i. The electromagnetsarethereupon energized to remove the articles A the magnetic force actingtoattract said articles and remove them i'rontthe dies being momentarilyangmentcd by the action ot the condenser 93, which also acts todis'ipate. the residual magnetism when the circuit is subsequentlybroken, thereby permitting the release of the articles. After thecircuit is closed, the electromagnets are swung from their positionadjacent the dies into the vertical delivering position shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2, and when this position is reached, the portion 90 ot'the commutator passes out of contact with the brush 92, breaking thecircuit and causing the electromagnets to drop the articles, which maybe received in a suitably disposed receptacle 9i. The circuit to theelectromagnets is not cloi'ed until said electromagnets reach a positionimmediately over the dies and is not broken until they reach a positionimmediately over the receptacle 9i, the circuit being closed and brokenalways at the same respective points in the'cycle of movements of themagnets. It therefore 't'ollows that successive articles will all bedeposited at the same point of delivery and in the same relativeposition, so that said articles will be received by the receptacle 94innested relation and in con venient form for packing and shipment.

For convenience the inventionhas been herein shown anddescribed asembodied in a machine for making articles from sheet metal, andelectromagnetic devices have therefore been chosen as the means forremoving the completed articles trom the dies and depositing themat thepoint of delivery. It will be obvious. however. that the invention inits broader aspect, is equally applicable to machines for operating onother sheet materials such. for example, as sheet fibre stock. The typeof delivering mechanism employed will therefore be chosen in accordancewith the material operated upon. Thus, for example, it the articles beof paper or fibre stock instead of sheet metal, there may be employedpneumatic. delivering mechanism wherein the electromagnets abovedescribed are replaced by suction nozzles, the conductors by airconduits, the generator by a suction pump. and the commutator by asuitable alve. This will. however, be obvious to those skilled in theart without further discussion in detail.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for forming articles from sheet material, incombination, a series of die sections linked together into a continuouschain, means for moving said chain intermittently, devices with whichsaid sections are brought successively into cooperative relationship forpunching blanks from stock and shaping them into articles, a wedge slidefor positioning and locking said chain, and means for projecting saidslide between contiguous die sections of said chain between successivemovements of the latter.

2. In a machine for forming articles from sheet material. incombination, a series of die sections linked together into a continuouschain, means for moving said chain intermittently, devices with whichsaid sections are brought successively into cooperative relationshi forpunching blanks from stock and shaping them into articles, a ram bywhich said devices are carried, a wed e slide for positioning andlocking said chain, and means operated by said ram for projecting saidslide between contiguous die sections of said chain between successivemovements of the latter.

3; In a machine for forming articles from sheet material, incombination, a series of die sections linked together into a continuouschain, means for moving said chain intermittently, devices with whichsaid sections are brought successively into cooperative relationship forpunching blanks from stock and shaping them into articles, a ram bywhich said devices are carried, a wed e slide for positioning andlocking said ciain, a bell crank for projecting said slide betweencontiguous die sections 01' said chain, an abutment on said ram forengaging and operating said bell crank, and a spring for withdrawingsaid slide.

4. In a machine for i'ormin g sheet metal articles, in combination, aseries of die sections linked together into a continuous chain, meansfor feeding said chain interniittently, means cooperating with said diesections successively to form articles from sheet metal stock. apolygonal drum about which said chain passes, said drum having flatfaces to receive the several die sections, an electromagnet, meanssynchronized with said feeding means for moving said electromagnet intoa position adjacent a die section on a flat face of said drum when saidchain is stationary and for thereafter moving said electromagnet into adelivering position, and means also synchronized with said feeding meansfor closing the circuit to said electromagnet when said electromagnetreaches said first named position and for breaking said circuit whensaid electromagnet reaches its delivering position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HARRY E. RUCKERT.

